Medical Marijuana

If you have a qualifying condition and are over the age of 21, and have attempted and failed more conventional treatments, you may be a candidate for Medical Marijuana therapy.

Medical Marijuana has a broad spectrum of therapeutic value in multiple chronic pain conditions and diseases with a more acceptable side effect profile than most commonly prescribed pharmaceuticals.

Dr. Ilana Etelzon is licensed and registered with the NYS Medical Marijuana Program. If you are interested in medical marijuana treatments, please schedule an appointment with Dr. Etelzon in our Manhattan or Brooklyn office.

Our goal is to provide a variety of safe and effective treatment options with the goal to improve and restore daily function. For those patients that qualify for Medical Marijuana Certification, they must comply with NYS regulations and policies in order to ensure safety.

The appropriate application of Medical Marijuana is for a variety of conditions which include but are not limited to:

What conditions make me eligible for medical marijuana therapy?

You may be eligible for medical marijuana if you have been diagnosed with a chronic pain condition or other debilitating or life threatening condition such as cancer, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, neuropathy, post-traumatic stress disorder, substance use disorder, or severe muscle spasms.

What is the first step to obtaining medical marijuana?

The first step is speaking with your practitioner about whether the medical use of marijuana is appropriate for you. If your practitioner determines it is an appropriate treatment, they may issue you a certification for medical marijuana.

What forms and dosage amounts are allowed?

Approved forms of medical marijuana include solid or semi-solid dosage forms (such as capsules, tablets, and lozenges), metered liquid or oil preparations (for vaporization or oral administration), metered ground plant preparations, and topical and transdermal patches. In the state of NY, smoking is not permitted and regulations prohibit edibles.

What do I do after receiving a certification from my doctor?

Once you possess a certification from a registered practitioner, you must register with the Medical Marijuana program. After your registration is approved, you will be issued a Temporary Registry Identification Card, which may be used with a government issued photo identification card until you receive a identification card in the mail which usually takes approximately seven days.

Which dispensing facilities may I use?

A patient may receive medical marijuana products from dispensing facilities that are Registered Organization in New York State.

How much medical marijuana can I get at a time?

Registered Organizations may dispense up to a 30-day supply of medical marijuana to a certified patient. Registered Organizations report their medical marijuana dispensing to the New York State Prescription Monitoring Program (PMP) database. PMP database keeps track of patients controlled substance history and makes it available for review by their provider.

What should I do if the approved medical marijuana product is not helping me?

Talk to your practitioner to determine if a change is needed in product or the dose, or if discontinuation of the product is necessary.

What should I do if I think I’m having an adverse reaction to the medical marijuana product?

If you are experiencing an adverse reaction or emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.

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